Dundee City Council and Committees 20 May 2013

Monday evening witnessed the May meeting of the City Council and its committees.  The meetings opened up with the Lord Provost paying tribute to the work of the Dundee Libraries who have won UK Library of the Year, I have previously brought attention to this great achievement.

At the Education Committee I welcomed progress on the replacement of Harris Academy.  I am looking forward to work starting before too long on this important project. I note that there are still some issues to be ironed out with the Scottish Futures Trust about funding.  But I hope that this project will provide jobs for many local people.  Most importantly I hope that this will provide an excellent school for young people in the West End and beyond.

I sought and received some assurance  that organisations which currently use Harris Academy for community activities will be accommodated elsewhere.  I was pleased to hear from the Director of Education that this was being done.

I also asked about the economic impact of Harris Academy being located at Rockwell for the next three years.  I have concerns about the future of the Perth Road shopping area.  I asked the Chief Executive whether he would ensure that the City Development Department will look to support the Perth Road shops and possibly work with the Perth Road traders association which is being formed.  The Chief Executive told me that he thought that the pupils and staff at Harris will be replaced by construction staff and that this will not have a severe impact on the shops in the area.  I hope that he is correct but I will be keeping a close eye on this issue.

At the Environment Committee I welcomed the report on promoting bowling in the city.  I think that the council provides some very good facilities for bowling I do have some concerns that the council needs to improve the locker rooms that go along with council bowling greens to make them more attractive.  I also said that I felt that we should not just assume that bowling is for older people and I wondered why Leisure & Culture Dundee's Sports Development Section or the Active Schools section of the Education Department didn't promote bowling.

I was pleased to see that Dundee City Council had reacted to pressure from Labour in Dundee and was going to bring forward plans to improve tennis facilities in Dundee.  We should be doing all that we can to ensure that if the next Andy Murray is from Dundee that we are doing all we can to assist him or her to achieve their potential in sport.

At the Policy and Resources Committee I spoke on a couple of items.  Firstly on the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014 - Dundee's Pre Games, Games Delivery and Legacy Plans. I think that this is an important report and celebrating the Commonwealth Games being in Scotland is to be welcomed.

The reaction to the torch relay for last year’s Olympics demonstrated that the people of Dundee were enthusiastic about sport and these important national events.

I am sure that the Queen’s Baton Relay event will be popular in the city.  I also welcome the Support a Second Team initiative.  Dundee has strong links with South Africa with Nelson Mandela being a Freeman of the City.  I am sure that we will develop better links with South Africa and also with Belize.

It is also excellent that Dundee will be a host city, I hope that we make  a real effort to promote our city as a result of this.

On the report on the use of the Common Good Fund I was pleased to speak in support of how the money will be spent, I was also pleased to hear that the council will be looking for other ways to support the Foodbank.

I welcome the proposals here for the Common Good Fund.  The Tay Rail Bridge Disaster Memorial is an initiative which I support and which I hope to see come to fruition before too long, the work at Verdant Works is important in maintaining the heritage of our city, the Tayforth Veterans Project is also important working with veterans and ensuring that their contribution to society is recognised and that they receive the support they deserve..

I want to highlight the work of Discovery Credit Union.  In these difficult financial times we should be supporting an ethical financial institution like the credit union.  We have previously highlighted our concerns about pay day loans and I want us to go some way to creating a level playing field for the credit union.  I am pleased that they will be promoting the Credit Union through the common good funds.

I am a long-term supporter of the work of the One World Centre and I welcome the assistance that they are getting here.  In light of the report on the Commonwealth Games there is scope for work from the One World Centre to build better links with South Africa and Belize.

 

Dundee wins Library of the Year

I welcome the news that Dundee has won the Library of the Year award, along with Devon, at the Bookseller Industry Awards.  I am a Trustee of Leisure and Culture Dundee, the organisation which operates Dundee's public libraries.

 

I am delighted that Dundee has won this award.  This is well-deserved recognition of the work of the staff in Dundee's Libraries.  We are fortunate in Dundee that we have a network of libraries across the city which serve the needs of the people of Dundee.  I am glad to see improvements taking place, such as the installation of a lift at Blackness Library in my ward.  Dundee's libraries were commended at the award ceremony for their 'impressive digital participation programme.'  Dundee's libraries have demonstrated that reports of the demise of libraries in the electronic age are overstated.  They have also shown that libraries need to be looking at the changing needs of library users.

 

 

I would just like to offer my congratulations to everyone connected with Dundee's Library Service - well done.

Official Opening of West End Schools

This morning I was delighted to attend the official opening of the new schools and nursery in the West End, Balgay Hill Nursery, St Joseph's Primary and Victoria Park Primary.  As the local Councillor, a local resident and indeed a parent of a child at one of the schools I am delighted to see the schools officially open. This investment is a legacy of the Labour-led Administration. I know that the young people have settled well in to their new schools. Staff and pupils are enjoying the improved facilities. I wish Balgay Hill Nursery, St Joseph's Primary and Victoria Park Primary all the very best of luck as they continue to enjoy new facilities. This investment in the West End is to be welcomed and I will be campaigning to ensure that investment in education in the city is maintained.

It was great to see so many local people at the event, it was a shame that not every parent could be invited.  There were great performances from pupils at all three schools, it was a great day and well done to everyone who was involved in the organisation.

Labour Education spokesperson, my colleague Councillor Laurie Bidwell, also attended the event and his views are below:

"The opening of the the new West End schools today is a red letter day in the West End as we celebrate the opening two new schools and a nursery on a shared campus on their Blackness Road site. I am sure that parents and carers, teachers and pupils will all appreciate the outstanding facilities that this new campus provides in the heart of their community. Having been involved in commissioning of these new schools as part of Labour's 2008/2012 Capital Plan and taken part in the consultation meetings, it is good to return to see at first hand how our architects have imaginatively used the space on the site to create 21st century facilities for the pupils in each of these schools. I know our teachers will be do their best to exploit the enhanced possibilities for teaching and learning in their fine new schools. I shall continue to advocate not making short terms cuts in the Education staffing budget that causes long term damage to schooling of our children."

Jericho House Meeting

On Wednesday I was pleased to attend the monthly meeting of the Jericho House support group.  As I have said on many occasions Jericho House does a great job helping people with problems associated with alcoholism.  It was good to hear that there had been a great response to the play which the house had recently put on at the Steps Theatre.  I attended the play and thought that it was really very good and a great credit to everyone involved in its production.  With thanks to my ward colleague Councillor Fraser Macpherson you can get a flavour of the production by watching the video above.

Tennis Investment Welcomed by Dundee Labour

Dundee City Council has responded to pressure from Dundee Labour amongst others to improve tennis facilities in the city.  I welcome the moves to improve tennis provision in the city. Like everyone else I think that we need to build on the success of Andy Murray and promote this popular sport in the city. I will be keeping a close eye on progress. I am pleased that the campaign from Labour led by Jenny Marra MSP has borne fruit.

It is crucial that Dundee wins the bid to get the National Performance Centre which will gives us a tennis centre in the west of the city. I hope that the council is pulling out all of the stops to win this bid. However if the city is unsuccessful then there needs to be a plan B to ensure that there are tennis facilities in the west of the city. It seems to me that South Road park would be an ideal location to develop as a centre for tennis. 

You can watch the video above to find out more about tennis in the city and Labour's campaign to have the tennis facilities in the city improved.

 

My colleague Jenny Marra MSP has worked hard on this issue and has met with Tennis Scotland to push for investment in Dundee.  You can read her views below:

 

“I’m delighted that Dundee City Council has listened to Labour’s campaign for better tennis facilities for Dundee.

“I started this campaign last summer after Andy Murray’s tennis success because I want children in Dundee to have as many opportunities as possible to fulfil their potential and get involved in sport.

“The Victorians put tennis courts in parks across Dundee but so many of them have fallen into disrepair. It’s not too much to ask to have decent sports facilities across our city and that is why today’s news is very welcome.

“I’m especially pleased that the Council is resurfacing the tennis court in Lochee. Lochee’s court is in the worst condition of all and it is not good enough for children in Menzieshill, Charleston and Lochee to have substandard facilities. I look forward to the opening of the new court and seeing children playing more sport. It’s so important for their health, fitness and confidence.

“I’ll be paying close attention to the progress of the Council’s plan to improve facilities right across the City. If the Victorians had the foresight for good sports facilities, it doesn’t seem too much to ask to make sure they are in good condition for our children today. Dundee City Council’s news is very welcome.”

West End Community Council

Tonight I attended the May meeting of the West End Community Council.  There was a range of local issues raised this evening.  The local police reported on the recent spate of graffiti attacks in the West End.  It is important that we have zero tolerance of graffiti.  Anyone with any information about these graffiti attacks should contact the police.

A number of local people raised their concerns about the changes which have taken place to the recycling centres in the city.  One person pointed out that when told that they would have to take the material to Baldovie (they weren't sure where it was) they simply put the material in their grey general rubbish bin.  So this instance was a dent to Dundee's recycling record.  How many more people are taking this view?

Many people drew attention to the environmental impact of the  changes.  The City Council may have a slightly decreased carbon footprint as a result of fewer lorries taking recycled material between the three recycling centres.  Local people felt though that the carbon footprint of the city as a whole was most probably higher as a result of the changes.  Many people have been raising their concerns about this with me.  I have also raised my concerns that there may be a rise in fly-tipping as a result of this change in policy.  I am looking for action from the council on this matter.

Police, Fire and Community Safety - Policy and Resources Committee

Monday evening saw the latest meeting of the council's Policy and Resources Committee which focuses on police, fire and community safety.  These committee meetings have come about as a result of the police and fire reform process.  In my opinion it is essential that some form of robust local scrutiny must be maintained.

Monday's evening saw some interesting reports.  Under the Dundee Community Safety Partnership Commissioning budget I highlighted the £5,000 being allocated to Fire Risk Environmental clean-ups.  I welcomed this proactive effort to reduce the number of malicious fires by removing combustible material from communities in the city.  I pointed out that a number of constituents had raised concerns with me that changes to the recycling centres in the city will lead to an increase in fly-tipping.  I was concerned that this had not been factored into the policy considerations about this, but I was pleased to hear that if there is a problem with fly-tipping then this budget will be increased to deal with the issue.


I was also pleased to see the final Annual Public Performance Report of the former Tayside Fire and Rescue Board.  As a former member of the board I was pleased to see what had been achieved by the Tayside Fire and Rescue Service in its last year.  I think that in some ways this is a challenge to the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.  It has a lot to live up to at least maintain the service delivered in Tayside.  I was pleased to be told that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be looking to report in such detail to the council about their performance in Dundee next year.  I believe that openness and transparency are important for effective scrutiny and also that effective local and national scrutiny will deliver a better service for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the people of Scotland.

Development Management Committee - New Harris Academy Approved

A view of the planned new Harris Academy from the south

Monday evening saw the May meeting of the Development Management Committee.  There were a number of planning applications including for the new Harris Academy and for housing on the site of the former Parkview School.

I was pleased to see that the plans for the new Harris Academy were approved.  I sought a reassurance that items such as the clock tower and other items in the entrance portico will be reused in the new school.  I know that a lot of local people have called for this.  I was pleased to be told that this would happen.

I welcome the granting of planning permission for the new Harris Academy.  This is good news for school and for the West End and beyond.  I hope to see work starting in the summer.  I hope that this will bring jobs for local people.  I want to see this new school in the West End built on time and on budget.  I look forward to working with the school community, the local community and the City Council to bring about the best possible school for the young people of the West End.

I voted against the plans for houses on the former Parkview School site on Blackness Road.  I thought that the proposals had some merit however I felt that there were issues about overshadowing of neighbouring properties.  I also worried about the number of houses proposed for the site.  The vote on the proposals finished 14-14 and the Convener used his casting vote to approve the proposals.

Welcome for Hybrid Buses

Along with my Labour colleagues, Councillor Georgia Cruikshank and Councillor Brian Gordon I attended the launch of new Hybrid Buses by National Express Dundee.

I was really pleased to join colleagues at the launch of these new hybrid buses. These buses will be on the number 5 service which serves the West End. I want to promote bus services in Dundee and I think that this is a major step forward. We should be promoting environmentally friendly buses. I look forward to more and more investment in the bus service in Dundee.

I welcome anything which improves air quality in the city. I was really pleased to hear that these buses were built in Scotland. I look forward to these buses being in service in Dundee and hope that they are the first of many.

I am clear that we need to support better bus services in the city and this means promoting new services and environmentally friendly buses.

Support for Brittle Bone Society

I was really pleased to join supporters and staff at the Brittle Bone Society to promote Wishbone Day.  The Brittle Bone Society is based in the West End Ward and I am always very impressed with their work.

The picture shows how some of us got soaked as we got ready to let off some yellow balloons.  Please have a look at the Brittle Bone Society's website and see how you can support their work.

Support for Greater Regulation of Buses

Bus Regulation Bill 2 May 2013 from West End Labour on Vimeo.

I'm calling for greater regulation of bus services.  My colleague Iain Gray MSP has published a consultation on a proposed Members' Bill in the Scottish Parliament on Bus Regulation.  I believe that many people in my ward, and beyond, do not get the bus service they need due to a lack of regulation.  I have been supporting greater action on this issue for some time.  You can hear me making the case for greater regulation on Wave 102 by clicking on the video above.

I support Iain Gray in his call for greater bus regulation.  The City Council spends a lot of money on providing the infrastructure for buses but does not have much say about which areas get bus services.  For example, a number of areas of my ward where a lot of older people live have a poor bus service.  This is in areas like the Logie and Pentland estates, where eventually the council is providing a subsidised service.  The bus companies operating in Dundee do not feel that they have a need to provide services which are not profitable but which are socially necessary.  I think that it would be better if the council could bundle together profitable and socially useful services and franchise these together.  This would prevent the 'cherry-picking' of profitable routes.

We normally talk about bus services, I would question whether this is appropriate if nearly all bus 'services' are run for profit.  If we are going to encourage people to use buses then we need to ensure that there is a real bus service which meets their needs.

I will certainly be responding to this consultation and I will be encouraging community groups and others in the city to respond to the consultation.  I also hope that Dundee City Council will be responding to the consultation.

Please below for an Executive Summary of the Bill and its main points

Bus Regulation Bill – Executive Summary

-    Bill aims to reverse long-term decline in bus industry by improving services and increasing passenger journeys

-    Presently authorities fund services with little say in how they are run

-    Will give more power to local transport authorities to decide how services are run locally, including on frequency and fares

-    Powers will also include ability to ‘bundle’ profitable and unprofitable routes to be franchised together

-    Local authority fleets might also be used to provide socially useful services where there are gaps in provision

-    Role of Traffic Commissioner in Scotland will also be strengthened to impose tougher financial penalties on operators breaking terms of franchises

Community Spirit AGM

On Wednesday evening I was pleased to attend the AGM of the Community Spirit Action Group.  This is an excellent group which does so much good work representing the interests of people in the northern part of the West End ward in areas like  Pentland, Tullideph and Ancrum.

The City Council's Director of Leisure and Communities, Stewart Murdoch, gave a very interesting presentation on the UK City of Culture 2017 bid.  It was great to hear the widespread support for the plans at the meeting.

The officebearers were re-elected at the AGM.  I would like to wish them all the very best as they continue in their roles for another year.

At the meeting I updated local residents on the work which I have done on the issue of air quality at the junction of Lochee Road, Cleghorn Road and Rankine Street.  The Community Spirit Group have raised their concerns over bus services on several occasions.  Their area is one which has borne the brunt of the decisions by bus operators to concentrate Bus Regulation.  I think that some of the policies put forward by Iain Gray could make a real difference in areas like this.  I gave the group a copy of the consultation document and hope that they might respond to it.

Friends of the Western Cemetery

I was pleased to join with members of the Friends of the Western Cemetery today as they welcomed volunteers from Barclays Bank who had come to do some volunteering work in the cemetery.  They planted some plants next to the new cremated remains area in the cemetery.

It may not be the most obvious thing but it has to be said that the Western Cemetery is very much a hidden gem in the West End.  The Friends group are doing a great job and I am always happy to support them.

I was pleased to see volunteers from Barclays Bank helping the Friends group today and making a real difference to the area.  Banks do not have the best reputation at this moment in time and therefore while it may not entirely have made made reparation it was good to see Barclays staff putting something back into the community.

Support for Dundee Labour Students Living Wage Campaign



Addressing the meeting outside the Students' Association on the Living Wage

Today I was really pleased to join Dundee Labour Students, others student activists, the Movement for Change, and staff and trade unions at Dundee University to support their campaign for the University of Dundee to pay the Living Wage.  I have already made clear my support of this campaign.  Well done to Connor McElwaine and others for organising the event.  I have long supported the campaign for a Living Wage and supported Dundee City Council's efforts to introduce the Living Wage for Dundee City Council workers.  At that time I was clear that we must also support the Living Wage for all arms-length companies and contractors of Dundee City Council.  I fully support the Living Wage for all public sector workers such as those who work at the University of Dundee.  We should also be looking to get the Living Wage paid across every sector of the economy.  I was pleased to be joined by Unison activists Emma Phillips and Phil Welsh as well as Jim McGovern MP in showing my support for the campaign by students and staff. 

 

 

You can see my speech at the event below:

 

 

'Firstly, thanks very much for the opportunity to speak here today.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue it is good to see university staff and students campaigning together and trying to make a difference.

As a local councillor for the university I am pleased to be here today and as a graduate of the university I am pleased to be here today.

Fundamentally I am here today because I think that work should pay.  It should pay to be in employment.  The best way out of poverty is work.

I campaigned over the last couple of years to get Dundee City Council to pay the Living Wage.  I am pleased to say that Dundee City Council is now paying the Living Wage.

When Dundee City Council agreed to pay its employees the Living Wage we also agreed to promote the Living Wage to all arms-length companies and to companies which get contracts from the council.

Importantly, we also said that we would promote the Living Wage right across the city in all sectors.

I support the Living Wage for all public sector workers, that includes workers at the University of Dundee.

Paying the Living Wage shows that we value workers and want to give them dignity in the workplace.  It is also good sense for the economy.  For example the independent think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that for every pound spent paying the Living Wage, the Treasury saves 50p through not needing to pay tax credits and benefits.  The Living Wage would put more money in the economy which would be good for the economy as a whole.

 

The issue is should the economy be run for the benefit of the many or the few.  Should we be helping bankers or helping the poorest in society.

Paying the Living Wage across the whole public sector is where we should be.  It is about dignity, it is about valuing workers and most importantly it is about fairness, a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.’

Delighted to support UK City of Culture Bid

I was delighted to join many Dundonians this morning, including politicians from across the political spectrum, to send-off Dundee's bid to be UK City of Culture in 2017.  This was a great event and I am proud to put this picture here which includes, council colleagues such as the Lord Provost.  I am happy to do so because this issue is about promoting Dundee, not about party politics.  People right across Dundee, and beyond, have got together and are saying that Dundee should be the UK City of Culture in 2017.

 

All of Dundee Labour Party's elected representatives have signed up to back Dundee's Bid to be the UK City of Culture in 2017.  We are calling on everyone in the city to back the bid and show their support via the We Dundee website. All ten members of the City Council's Labour Group have joined together with Jenny Marra MSP and Jim McGovern MP to back the bid.

I  represent Dundee Labour on the Strategic Group backing the bid and I am glad that all of Labour's elected representatives in the city are backing Dundee's exciting bid to be UK City of Culture in 2017. This was a policy which was in our election manifesto and which we are proud to support. But this issue is much more important than party politics, everyone in Dundee should support the bid and tell the world just what a great place Dundee is.

Labour politicians in the city will do everything that we can to promote the city and to ensure that the bid is successful. We will be working with the SNP-led council Administration to deliver the UK City of Culture title in 2017 because we know that is what is the best interests of our great city. I would urge anyone who hasn't yet visited the We Dundee website to do so and to sign up to show their support for Dundee's bid.

Dundee has a strong case to be UK City of Culture and it is important that Dundonians get behind the bid. I know that the bid is also supported by many many people who do not live in the city but who know that Dundee has a thriving cultural scene.

The most important message is please back our bid.

Concern over services - Support for Royal Mail

I have met with Royal Mail Officials to hear about changes to their services in Dundee West.  I was particularly interested to hear about any lessons which have been learnt after similar changes in Dundee East which caused a lot of problems in that area.

 

I was pleased to listen to officials from Royal Mail.  I raised my concerns about the changes which took place previously in Dundee East and resulted in many problems with mail deliveries there.  I wanted to be sure that these changes are properly resourced and that proper consultation has taken place with the workforce and their trade unions.  I was reassured by the answers which I was given although, as ever, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.  If anyone is having problems with their mail deliveries it would be good to hear from them.  I will also be speaking to the trade union in this case the CWU to get their views on the changes.'

 

 

I support the Royal Mail and think that we should do all that we can to protect it.  The changes being brought in in Dundee West are in part a response to changes in the market and the growth of the number of parcels being delivered as we move towards more and more internet shopping.  I think we should recognise that the Royal Mail has the Universal Service Obligation and that it is not a level playing field if other competitors can cherry-pick the profitable parts of the business.  This is why I was opposed to Dundee City Council giving its mail contract to TNT. We should be supporting local jobs and services.  It is also why I support the campaign supported by among others the CWU to Save Our Royal Mail.

Action needed on air quality at Lochee Road

I'm calling for co-ordinated action to deal with air quality issues in my ward.  I met with council officials and my ward colleague Councillor Fraser Macpherson to discuss concerns about air quality issues at the junction of Lochee Road/Rankine Street/Cleghorn Street.  I am concerned that time after time air quality issues are raised at this location but the problem appears to remain.

I was very concerned to see figures which Friends of the Earth recently highlighted which put this area in the top ten of the most polluted in Scotland. I was also approached by a considerable number of local people who were worried about this situation. That is why I sought to bring together council officers concerned with air quality and transport issues to try and find a solution to this problem.

There may be no easy solution, but we must be concerned that our city features on this list of the most polluted streets. I know that a lot of hard work has gone on in Dundee to try and deal with issues about pollution and the environment. The problems at this junction come about for a variety of reasons; partly to do with the height of the buildings and partly to do with the road lay-out and the stop/start nature of the traffic in the area.

I was glad to hear that council officers shared my concerns, and the concerns of the many local people who have spoken to me about this issue, and that they were prepared to look at what could be done to deal with this issue. Changes will be made to the traffic lights that will allow for a freer flow of traffic when pollution levels are high. Officers will also look at the traffic in the area and see if there is anything that can be done to change traffic patterns in the area.

I want to do all that I can to improve and protect the environment in Dundee. I hope that by standing up for local people in this area there will be real changes which improve air quality in this part of the city.

Residents Parking Scheme rejected - but action still needed

I welcome the acceptance by the City Council that the proposed West End Residents Parking Scheme will not go further.  I am calling on the City Council to move on and deal now with the car parking problems which continue to exist in the West End.

The scheme put forward by the council was doomed to failure from the beginning, it was unfair to ask West End residents to pay £80 when others only pay £5. I am glad that the council appear to be listening to the views of local people. This scheme could not have worked without the support of local people and they have spoken loudly and clearly.

 

Rejection of the residents parking scheme cannot be the end of concern about parking issues in the West End. There are many parking issues in the West End and the council needs to work with local people to try and solve these. The residents parking scheme took too long to come to a conclusion which was relatively obvious as soon as the costs were made known. Now is the time for action on car parking issues in the West End. Local people have been told over the last couple of years that other solutions to parking problems will have to wait until the outcome of this doomed consultation was known. Now is the time for action.

 

Over the course of the consultation the City Council has heard hundreds of views about parking difficulties in area, I will be writing to council to make sure that each of these comments is actioned and that the time and effort put into the consultation has not been totally wasted. I am always willing to listen to local people's concerns and raise any parking issues they have with the council.

 

I am glad that the council has listened but the rejection of the residents parking scheme must not mean that there is no action on parking issues in the West End.

 

Need for action on blacklisting

I've re-iterated my call for Dundee City Council to take action on blacklisting.  This comes after the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee published its interim report on blacklisting.  I'm looking for action from Dundee City Council to ensure that no company receiving a contract or money from Dundee City Council is operating a blacklist.  This is an issue that my trade union the GMB is very concerned about.
 

I welcome the report by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee and I wholeheartedly agree with them that the process of blacklisting is morally indefensible and that firms and individuals involved in this practice should have known this.  I have raised my concerns about Dundee City Council's position on this previously.  The council should use its considerable economic power for the good of local people.  It would be wrong if contracts from the council were going to companies which operate blacklists.  The council must take a genuine interest in the impact of any contracts it lets.
 

I have been told that  the council is waiting on the Scottish Government taking action on trade union rights in contracts and may well follow the Scottish Government's lead.  I am looking for action on this matter sooner rather than later.  In a free society you should never have your livelihood threatened because of your trade union activity or because you are keen on high standards of health and safety.
 

I will do all I can to ensure that there is no way that Dundee City Council could  be supporting blacklisting.  I look forward to action by the council sooner rather than later.
 

The Council's Head of Democratic and Legal Services recently replied to my concerns about Blacklisting by saying:

"I understand that the Scottish Government intend to ensure that contracts let by them will guarantee that workers will have a right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and bargain collectively and that employers will also be required to adopt an open attitude to trade unions and ensure that workers' representatives are not discriminated against.

We are liaising with the Scottish Government regarding these proposals and it would then be my intention to bring forward proposals for consideration with the Council."
 

I am looking for action soon on this issue.

Call for improved bus services in the West End

I welcome moves by Dundee City Council and National Express to produce better bus services.  I'm calling for improved services in the West End and called for services especially for the Logie Estate and the Pentland estate.

I welcome moves by the council and National Express to improve bus services in Dundee.

I want to see a service which links parts of the West End with Lochee.  I also want to see services for people in the Logie and Pentland estates.  Many local people have made the case to me about improved services.  It is important that for once the council and bus companies listen.

While these moves are welcome I think that there is a strong case for more regulation of bus services.  Bus companies should provide a service and should work in consultation with the local authorities and local communities to provide a service for local people.

Concern over rubbish and costs

I am concerned that clearing up after the travellers who have been in the city recently is costing Council Tax payers, with  a figure of £13,000 quoted for clearing up after travellers last week at the same time as the council is cutting services to council tax payers.

I am appalled at the mess being left by travellers. I am concerned that they have now moved to the West End.  I hope that appropriate action is taken to prevent a repetition of the mess left last week.
It is costing Dundee Council Tax Payers a fortune at the same time as the council's recycling service has become poorer due to cuts.  This is wrong.

We need the authorities to work together to find a solution to this problem.   It is wrong that these problems come around time after time.  Police and councils need powers to quickly move people on from unofficial  or inappropriate stopping places.  We need to ensure that people cannot behave in way which costs the council a fortune with impunity.  Everybody needs to be treated in the same way, I would be liable if I caused £13,000 worth of rubbish and so should anyone else.

I am also keen to know why travellers are not using the council maintained site.

Development Management Committee

Monday evening saw a meeting of the Development Management Committee.  There were only two planning applications.  My colleague Councillor Kevin Keenan secured a change to the proposals for outline planning permission for housing next to Clatto Reservoir.  Councillor Keenan ensured that any developer will have to look at improving the play facilities in the park.

Pleased Bus Station Facilities Preserved

I welcome the news that Stagecoach will continue to operate toilet facilities at Dundee Bus Station.  I had raised my concern about the future of toilet facilities at the Bus Station after Dundee City Council's Administration decided not to continue operating the toilet facilities at Dundee Bus Station.  I have received reassurances from Stagecoach that they will run the facilities at Dundee Bus Station.

I welcome the move by Stagecoach to continue to provide toilet facilities at Dundee Bus Station. I am pleased that this is the case as it would have provided a terrible welcome to our city if the bus station was without toilet facilities. I think that the council needs to remember that it has a duty to promote the city at all times and things such as the facilities at the Bus Station or the rail station are important in this.

It is important that visitors to Dundee receive a warm welcome and I am glad that, thanks to Stagecoach, that will still be the case. This case demonstrates some of the problems that the council will face over the next few years. Decisions have to be made on the basis of a lack of money due to decisions taken at Holyrood and Westminster and the state of the economy and sometimes things that look like they will save money don't actually work or have unintended consequences. In this case there was an assumption that Stagecoach would pick up the bill, and they have, but in such cases there needs to be more discussions with all the parties involved. I think that this gives a very clear indication of the need for more open discussions about possible options.

Treat the Saltire with Respect



The sorry state of the Saltire flying over the Steeple last week

Firstly, I would like to say that there are much bigger issues facing the Dundee City Council than flags but if we are going to fly flags then we need to get it right and show the appropriate respect.

If we are going to fly our National flag from council owned buildings then we need to ensure that the flag is treated with due respect. I understand that in an ideal world flags should be raised and lowered every day and allowed to dry out for example, if we are unable to do that then perhaps we should consider whether it is appropriate to continue flying that flag. We should never allow the flag to get ripped. Flying a tattered flag shows no respect. It is important that the council respects the symbols of our nation and our state and if they are unable to do so then they should seriously consider whether it is appropriate to continue to show such a lack of respect.

I think that it is good to see the Saltire flying proudly over our city and I would like to see this continue. Seeing a tattered and ripped flag flying less than proudly over our city is something I would like to see stop.

 

I am glad that since I have raised this issue the council has said that the Saltire will be replaced and I hope that it will now be treated with respect.